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Need to get out of Thailand no later than Monday and was thinking of doing some diving. Hoping you guys might have some recommendations. Here is the criteria;
1) Relative ease to get there (SE Asia)
2) Land based
3) good snorkeling during off diving times (for girlfriend just starting out)
Would like someplace new to me so this would have to be off the beaten path as I've been to most of the obvious places. One place I remembering reading about that might fit this criteria was Weh ???
There's an inherent contradiction in your requirements:
1) Relative ease to get there (SE Asia)
and
would have to be off the beaten path
by definition "off the beaten path" is NOT easy to get to...
One place I remembering reading about that might fit this criteria was Weh ???
probably right - but again it is not really what you call "easy to get there"
Going to Weh from Bangkok (assuming that this is where you're based) you'd probably have to overnight somewhere on the way
You can fly Air Asia to Penang, spend the night there and then catch Firefly Airlines to Banda Aceh the next day.
Alternatively you could take Air Asia to KL, spend a night in KL and continue to Banda Aceh the next day.
(an overnight stay on the way back will also be required)
Keep in mind that you'd need to get the Indonesian visa in Bangkok before you leave because Banda Aceh is not a "Visa on Arrival" airport.
(You could take a ferry from Penang to Medan and get the Indonesian visa on arrival - but then getting to Weh this way is even more time consuming requiring an additional flight from Medan to Banda Aceh or an overnight bus)
I suppose you could find a flight to Jakarta (get the visa there) and then fly onwards to Banda Aceh, but this is likely more expensive and would again require overnight in Jakarta.
You could Consider
1. Philippines - good time to go and easily accessible from Thailand on Cebu Pacific or PAL- tons of options to choose from including some that are off the beaten path (Anilao, South Leyte, Malapascua)
2. Derawan/Sangalaki area in east Kalimatan - not so easy to get to, but definitely good snorkeling along with good diving.
3. Wakatobi area - (choose from fancy resort to inexpensive local operation out of Button Island) fly Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur and continue to Makassar. Then another flight to Bau Bau on Lion Air or Express Air. Or if you go with the fancy resort - one flight to Bali then a private charter to Wakatobi.
by obvious places I guess you mean
4. Sipadan - again two flights but no overnight requirement.
5. Bali - still in the wet season but good diving, good snorkling and only one flight away from Bangkok.
Other parts of Indonesia are either too wet to consider (Alor, Banda) or really difficult to coordinate on such short notice (Raja Ampat)
There's an inherent contradiction in your requirements:
and
by definition "off the beaten path" is NOT easy to get to...
probably right - but again it is not really what you call "easy to get there"
Going to Weh from Bangkok (assuming that this is where you're based) you'd probably have to overnight somewhere on the way
You can fly Air Asia to Penang, spend the night there and then catch Firefly Airlines to Banda Aceh the next day.
Alternatively you could take Air Asia to KL, spend a night in KL and continue to Banda Aceh the next day.
(an overnight stay on the way back will also be required)
Keep in mind that you'd need to get the Indonesian visa in Bangkok before you leave because Banda Aceh is not a "Visa on Arrival" airport.
(You could take a ferry from Penang to Medan and get the Indonesian visa on arrival - but then getting to Weh this way is even more time consuming requiring an additional flight from Medan to Banda Aceh or an overnight bus)
I suppose you could find a flight to Jakarta (get the visa there) and then fly onwards to Banda Aceh, but this is likely more expensive and would again require overnight in Jakarta.
You could Consider
1. Philippines - good time to go and easily accessible from Thailand on Cebu Pacific or PAL- tons of options to choose from including some that are off the beaten path (Anilao, South Leyte, Malapascua)
2. Derawan/Sangalaki area in east Kalimatan - not so easy to get to, but definitely good snorkeling along with good diving.
3. Wakatobi area - (choose from fancy resort to inexpensive local operation out of Button Island) fly Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur and continue to Makassar. Then another flight to Bau Bau on Lion Air or Express Air. Or if you go with the fancy resort - one flight to Bali then a private charter to Wakatobi.
by obvious places I guess you mean
4. Sipadan - again two flights but no overnight requirement.
5. Bali - still in the wet season but good diving, good snorkling and only one flight away from Bangkok.
Other parts of Indonesia are either too wet to consider (Alor, Banda) or really difficult to coordinate on such short notice (Raja Ampat)
Guess I deserve the "contradiction" comments. I travel alot so relative ease would mean what it takes to get to Weh is ok. Would love to go to Raja Ampat, but that's probably beyond what I would want to do on short notice. Wakatobi ??? where is this in relation to Manado ? Been to Manado, but never even heard of Wakatobi ?
In all you recommendations the Philippine sounds the best. Can have a few days in AC I have only done Palawan on a liveaboard. Where do you think would be the best place for this time of year. I like good vis, wall diving with current (obvious). Not really into the macro stuff. The major contradiction is the girlfriend snorkeling part, but would really like her to get involved.
I'm not an expert on the Philippines (I've only been once, and going again in a few weeks) but I've done some research. There are so many choices it is really hard to decide where is best to go.
Weather wise I think everywhere will be good this time of year.
From what I gather your best bet for big stuff is Malapascua Island - Thresher Sharks and Mantas are likely to be spotted there. To get there you'll need to fly to Cebu (from BKK that most likely means BKK > MNL > Cebu) and then transfer overland to Malapascua which is at the northern end of Cebu island.
Another appealing option (and where I'm headed next in the Philippines) is Donsol where you can snorkel with Whalesharks (extremely high probability of spotting them there this time of year). There are some manta dives off Ticao which is near Donsol, but people say that there's nothing much to see beyond the mantas. No scuba is allowed in the main whaleshark spotting area.
To get there you'd have to fly BKK > MNL > Legazpi City and transfer from there to Donsol by van. If you like Volcanoes you might appreciate Mt Mayon which is an almost perfectly shaped cone active volcano right above Legazpi city.
South Leyte (Sogod Bay - Padre Burgos) is getting a reputation as a really nice place to dive. They also get occasional whale sharks.
I think that Puerto Galera is supposed to have some nice walls and current as well. It's easily accessible from Manila and if you like AC, you'd probably like the night life there as well...
Apo Island (near Dumaguete) is also known for walls and big schools of jackfish
Cabilao Island (west of Bohol) is also known for walls and schooling fish.
Anilao is pretty much a macro destination so if you don't like frogfish and pygmy seahorses it's not for you...
Do a search on the Philippine board for more details on the specifics of all these locations. There's tons of info there.
I'm not an expert on the Philippines (I've only been once, and going again in a few weeks) but I've done some research. There are so many choices it is really hard to decide where is best to go.
Weather wise I think everywhere will be good this time of year.
From what I gather your best bet for big stuff is Malapascua Island - Thresher Sharks and Mantas are likely to be spotted there. To get there you'll need to fly to Cebu (from BKK that most likely means BKK > MNL > Cebu) and then transfer overland to Malapascua which is at the northern end of Cebu island.
Another appealing option (and where I'm headed next in the Philippines) is Donsol where you can snorkel with Whalesharks (extremely high probability of spotting them there this time of year). There are some manta dives off Ticao which is near Donsol, but people say that there's nothing much to see beyond the mantas. No scuba is allowed in the main whaleshark spotting area.
To get there you'd have to fly BKK > MNL > Legazpi City and transfer from there to Donsol by van. If you like Volcanoes you might appreciate Mt Mayon which is an almost perfectly shaped cone active volcano right above Legazpi city.
South Leyte (Sogod Bay - Padre Burgos) is getting a reputation as a really nice place to dive. They also get occasional whale sharks.
I think that Puerto Galera is supposed to have some nice walls and current as well. It's easily accessible from Manila and if you like AC, you'd probably like the night life there as well...
Apo Island (near Dumaguete) is also known for walls and big schools of jackfish
Cabilao Island (west of Bohol) is also known for walls and schooling fish.
Anilao is pretty much a macro destination so if you don't like frogfish and pygmy seahorses it's not for you...
Do a search on the Philippine board for more details on the specifics of all these locations. There's tons of info there.
Thanks alot for putting together the list. Appreciate it. Will do some study on the places tonight.
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Originally Posted by broadreach
I have only done Palawan on a liveaboard. Where do you think would be the best place for this time of year. I like good vis, wall diving with current (obvious). Not really into the macro stuff. The major contradiction is the girlfriend snorkeling part, but would really like her to get involved.
